The next day, Pyre Fahren manages to find Pear Butter and set up the meeting, trying not to reveal Bright Mac's intentions.
"Sweet Apple Acres?" Pear Butter asks suspiciously, "Why there?"
"Oh, well, I-" he stumbles on his words before answering, "Well, I was just thinking that it would be nice to say one last goodbye before you leave town."
"Aw, that's so sweet!" she says gratefully, "Thanks, Pyre, I'll see you then!"
For the rest of the week, Pyre wonders what Bright Mac has planned to fix his relationship with Pear Butter. He was incredibly vague that day in the Whitetail Woods, and Pyre had not seen the cream-colored stallion all week. When the day before the Pear family moves finally arrives, Pyre and Pear Butter meet up at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. "Hi Pyre," she greets her friend.
"Hey," he returns the gesture, "How have you been doing?"
"Alright, I guess," she says with a sigh, "considering this'll be the last time I see any of you guys. I was hoping to say goodbye to Chiffon Swirl, but she wasn't at Sugarcube Corner when I went there."
"Well, Im sure you'll be back to visit, right?" Pyre says hopefully.
"Honestly, I'm not sure," she admits, "I mean, I could take the train, but Vanhoover's extremely far away. I'll try my hardest to visit, but my dad's gonna want me working as much as possible."
"Well, whatever may happen," he says, "I just want to say that I'm really glad I got to know you over these past few months."
"I am too," Pear Butter says as she pulls Pyre into a hug. When they pull away, Pear Butter sees Bright Mac trotting towards them and freezes in place.
"What're you doing here?" she asks, sounding intimidating but nervous at the same time.
"I'm actually the one that called you here tonight," he admits.
"What?" she turns on Pyre, "How could you lie to me?"
"Now hold up," Bright Mac says, "before things turn rotten, let me say something." He takes Pear Butter's hoof in his and continues, "Buttercup, I've been thinking about us a lot this past week, and I've realized that, the more time I've spent away from you, the more miserable I felt. It was wrong of me to cut us off like I did, and I'm truly sorry." Pear Butter looks into his eyes, searching for some semblance of faith in his words.
"How can I trust what you're sayin is true?" she asks warily.
"I thought you might still think that," he responds, "That's why I called you here - both of you - to prove myself. Follow me," he finishes and guides Pear Butter into the apple orchard, with Pyre following close behind.
When they arrive in the clearing between the Apple and Pear properties, Pyre and Pear Butter gasp at the sight. All the trees bordering the clearing are draped in flowing strands of white ribbons and bows and buckets of pears and apples form two rows leading to an elegant arbour. Beneath the arbour stands Mayor Mare, clutching a book, and off to each of ehr sides are Chiffon Swirl and Burnt Oak.
Pyre simply stands rooted in his tracks, too stunned to speak, "Bright Mac," he breathes, "is this. . .?" But Bright Mac is turned towards Pear Butter, looking longingly into her eyes.
"I don't want to be apart from you. Ever," he begins, "I'm not sure of what we'll do, but I'm sure of us. So sure that I'd marry you today," he finishes, getting down on one knee, holding his hoof out to Pear Butter, who looks even more surprised than Pyre. Almost immediately, she smiles and takes his outstretched hoof.
"I would too," she eventually says and they look over at Mayor Mare, who smiles back.
"I think that's my cue," she says, and they prepare for the ceremony. As Pear Butter and Chiffon chat, Pyre trots over to Bright Mac talking to Burnt Oak.
"Bright Mac, I gotta say," he begins to say, "When we last talked, I never imagined that you would go and do something like this!" he gestures around the clearing, "Not that I'm not happy for you two, I'm just - surprised, is all."
Bright Mac chuckles, "Well, I owe it all to you, Fahren," he says, "Your words really opened me up to think more about us as a couple, which allowed me to put my own desires to rest. For that I am eternally grateful," he gives Pyre a warm hug before walking over to stand next to his bride as they prepare to walk down the aisle.
"I must say," Burnt Oak comments, "I've never seen him talk so highly about somepony like he did to you. You two must be really close."
"Yeah," Pyre sighs contently, "I guess you could say that. . ."
* * * *
". . .and the rest, of course, is history," Pyre finishes his story.
"Wow, Uncle Pyre!" a small orange filly with golden locks squeaks, "That sure was a fun story!"
"You liked it, Applejack?" he asks playfully.
"Yeah! I 'specially liked the part when you scolded Daddy 'bout almost leaving Mama," she says, "I bet he cowered like Big Mac does whenever he sees a spider!"
"Hey, ah'm not that bad AJ!" a red-coated colt pipes up in protest.
"Ya are too!" Applejack says.
"Am not!" Big Mac retorts
"Settle down, you two," Pyre chuckles, "Well, I wouldn't say he cowered, but he certainly was surprised."
"That's because you were the most passive stallion I knew of until then," a voice cuts through the room as Bright Mac and Buttercup, who holds a small pink bundle in her arm, enters. Applejack and Big Mac race over to gret their parents and little sister.
"Hi Ma! Hi Pa!" they say as they hug the newcomers.
"Hello, sweethearts," Buttercup greets her foals, "I hate tu cut storytime short, but it's time to go home."
"Aaawwwww," the siblings sigh sadly.
"Now why the long faces?" Bright Mac says playfully, "Maybe, if you two finish your chores early, you can come back and visit Uncle Pyre tomorrow!"
"Yaayyy!" they exclaim as they bound out the door to follow their father home. Buttercup, on the other hoof, stays behind for a moment.
"Thanks for taking them on such short notice again, Pyre," she says gratefully, "Between working the farm and looking after little Applebloom here, we're finding it harder to keep track of the lil' rascals."
"Hey, it's no big deal," Pyre says cheerfully, "I love the little buggers! Beides, anything for friends in need."
Buttercup smiles and, as best as she can with the filly in her arm, wraps Pyre in a hearfelt embrace.
"And thanks again," she begins to say, "for everything you've ever done for us."
Pyre smiles, too, "Like I said, I'l do anything for a friend." They let go of one another and Buttercup trots after her family, waving back to him. Pyre turns back inside his home, still feeling immense joy, as he remembers that no matter what happens, they will still have their memories.